On December 15, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada issued Operational Bulletin 485. The title above and the contents below are self-explanatory. Summary Effective December 15, 2012,qualifying foreign nationals currently in Canada who have submitted an application for permanent residence (PR) under the…
Category: Canada Immigration and Visa Matters
Blog on Canadian permanent residency or temporary residency matters written by Toronto immigration lawyer Jeff Li.
Canada to Begin Collecting Biometrics from Certain Foreign Nationals
Ottawa, December 7, 2012 — In order to facilitate legitimate travel, nationals of twenty‑nine countries and one territory will soon need to provide their biometrics to come to Canada to visit, study or work, under regulations proposed today by Citizenship, Immigration…
Abandonment of citizenship applications and proof of residence
On November 16, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Canada introduced Operation Bulletin 476, entitled “Abandonment of citizenship grant applications where proof of residence has not been provided.” Below is an excerpt of the Bulletin. Background Applicants for Canadian citizenship are responsible…
2013: Federal Skilled Worker Program quota reduced; CEC quota increased
On November 2, 2012, Citizenship and Immigration Minister Jason Kenney announced the target quota for the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP) is between 53,500 to 55,300 for 2013. In the past years, Canada accepted on average 100,000 immigrants under the FSWP…
Spouses must live with sponsors for two years to keep permanent resident status
Mississauga, October 26, 2012 — In an ongoing effort to deter people from using marriages of convenience to cheat their way into Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) introduced a new regulation that requires certain sponsored spouses live in a legitimate…
Canadian border guard shot in booth at B.C. crossing
[The following is a report from CTV news. It raises concerns about the security of the Canadian border.] A lone gunman entering Canada from the U.S. shot a Canadian border officer inside her booth at a B.C. crossing point Tuesday…
Couple fined $120,000 for immigration fraud following government crackdown
[National Post] When Reha and Ecehan Ozcelik landed at Montreal’s Trudeau airport on Sept. 17, they told the border officer who questioned them they were permanent residents of Canada and lived in Montreal. And yet, they couldn’t answer basic questions…
LMO and Work Permit Application Updates
Disclaimer: The contents below are provided for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Readers should consult a competent lawyer when dealing with their legal matters. Jeff Li is not responsible for any actions taken by reliance on…
New citizenship language requirement effective November 1, 2012
[CIC] Ottawa, September 28, 2012 — Most citizenship applicants will soon be required to provide up-front objective evidence of their language ability at the time they apply, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney announced today. This change will be implemented…
Immigrants help housing market
[Canadianimmigrant.ca] The influx of immigrants and the continued purchasing power of younger home buyers in the age group of 25-34 will help the housing market, says a senior economist at CIBC. “It turns out fears of a long and sharp…